Miscanthus plant named &#39;ENCORE&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental  Miscanthus sinensis  plant named ‘Encore’ useful in the landscape en masse, small group or single specimen with dense upright culms and arching foliage having dark green color and near-white midribs. The flower habit is open and at varying heights creating a rounded dome outline beginning in early fall with repeat flush about two to three weeks later, and effective through the winter.

Latin botanical classification: Miscanthus sinensis (Andersson).

Variety denomination: ‘Encore’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention relates to the new and distinct plant cultivar ofMiscanthus sinensis named ‘Encore’, hereinafter also referred to as‘Encore’ and the “new plant” which represents a new and distinctcultivar of ornamental maiden grass for landscape and cut foliage andflower use. The seed was the result of open pollination betweenMiscanthus sinensis ‘Huron Sunrise’ (not patented) as the female or seedparent and the male or pollen parent is unknown but may have been anyone of a number of cultivar or seedling selections in the breeding area.Seed was collected by the inventors on Jan. 11, 2010 at a wholesaleperennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. , USA. During initial evaluation inthe summer of 2011 and afterward the individual seedling was assignedthe breeder code of HK10-06-02. Final evaluation of the new plant wasperformed at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. during the summer andfall of 2013.

The new plant has been successfully asexually propagated by division andsterile shoot plant tissue culture at the same perennial plant nurseryin Zeeland, Mich. and found to produce stable and identical plants thatmaintain the unique characteristics of the original plant. The plant isstable and reproduces true-to-type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

No plants of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Encore’ have been sold, in thiscountry or anywhere in the world, prior to the filing of thisapplication, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made prior tothe filing of this application with the except of that which wasdisclosed within one-year period of the filing of this application andwas either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

Miscanthus ‘Encore’ differs from its parents as well as all otherMiscanthus known to the applicant. The new plant differs from the seedparent Miscanthus ‘Huron Sunrise’ primarily in the new plant havingtaller habit and extended flowering period beginning to flower earlierand repeating with a second set of flowers. The seed heads of ‘Encore’are also lighter creamy tan compared to the medium tan of ‘HuronSunrise’.

Compared to ‘Autumn Anthem’ U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.14/544,454 the new plant is taller and produces flowers at staggeringperiods. Compared to ‘Gracillimus’ (not patented), the new plant hasbroader foliage and flowers at staggering times. Compared to ‘MorningLight’ (not patented) the new plant has narrower foliage and flowersboth earlier in the season and later, too. All of the above listedcomparison cultivars also flower in one distinct season unlike ‘Encore’that repeat flowers with more than one distinctive season.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE NEW PLANT

The new plant is different from all Miscanthus sinensis cultivars knownto the applicant in the following combined traits:

-   -   1. Dense upright culms with linear arching foliage.    -   2. Leaves of dark green with a wide near-white midrib.    -   3. Initial flowers in early fall with repeat flush about two to        three weeks later and seed heads remain effective through the        winter.    -   4. Flowering habit is open and at varying heights creating a        rounded dome outline.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance ofthe plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate asreasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum,intensity, source and direction may cause the appearance of minorvariation in color. The plant in the photographs is a three-year oldplant grown in full-sun trial garden.

FIG. 1 shows the overall plant in mid fall with two layers of flowers.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the early inflorescence in early-fall.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2001edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. The new plant, ‘Encore’, has not beenobserved under all possible environments. The phenotype may varyslightly with different environmental conditions, such as temperature,light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, but without any changein the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are ofa three-year old plant in a trail garden in Zeeland, Mich. in full sunwith supplemental water and fertilizer.

-   Parentage: Miscanthus sinensis ‘Huron Sunrise’ (not patented)    (female, seed) times unknown pollen male parent;-   Propagation method: By division of the culms and by shoot tissue    culture;-   Time to finishing in a three-liter pot: About three months;-   Vigor: Rapid;-   Rooting habit: Normal, fibrous, coarse, branching;-   Plant description: Winter-hardy herbaceous perennial forming tightly    rhizomatous clump, with upright culms and arching leaves producing a    medium landscape texture through summer and fine flowering texture    through winter;-   Plant size: Foliage height before flowering is about 125 to 135 cm    tall from soil line to the top of the leaves and about 35 to 45 cm    wide at soil line, about 150 cm to 165 cm wide at about 110 cm above    soil line, and about 140 to 195 cm tall to top of flowers;-   Foliage description: Glaucous, glabrous; margin entire except    microscopically serrulate; linear; conduplicate along center vein;    alternate; arching from sheath to apex; sheathed from node of    attachment to ligule; deciduous but persist through winter;-   Foliage size: Total length to about 85.0 cm long, averaging about    75.0 cm; length of sheath average about 16.0 cm, average length of    blade about 59.0 cm long; average about 7.0 mm wide;-   Foliage color: Young expanding foliage nearest RHS 144A both adaxial    and abaxial surfaces; adaxial mature between RHS 138A and RHS 138B,    abaxial mature nearest RHS 138B; adaxial and abaxial winter color    between RHS 165D and RHS 165C;-   Color at ligule: Between RHS 151D and RHS 145C;-   Veins: Parallel; center vein about 3.0 mm wide;-   Vein color: Center vein nearest RHS 155C adaxial and abaxial; other    minor veins same as the surrounding leaf on both adaxial and abaxial    surfaces;-   Culm: Glaucous; glabrous; erect; terete; completely enclosed by leaf    sheath; about 100 to 115 cm long to panicles and about 5.0 mm    diameter at base; internode length 5 to 10 cm, shorter near base,    average about 6.3 cm;-   Nodes: Swollen, lower nodes to about 7.0 mm diameter, glabrous;    covered by sheath;-   Ligule: Fringed membranous, 2.0 mm long and as wide as leaf; with    fine hairs to 5.0 mm long;-   Ligule color: Between RHS 151D and RHS 145C; drying to nearest RHS    165D; hair color nearest RHS 155D;-   Flower description: Spikelets in pairs on branched panicle; one    panicle per culm; beginning mid-September; drying on plant but    persisting through winter; no fragrance detected;-   Panicle: About 28 to 30 cm long, about 18 to 22 cm wide at widest    portion; with about 20 branches; branches to about 17.0 cm long;    attitude upward;-   Panicle color: Beginning nearest RHS 176C and developing to between    RHS 161C and RHS 159B;-   Spikelet: With tufts of fine hairs extending radially about 5.0 mm    long and about 0.1 mm diameter at base and along sides of paired    glumes;-   Pedicle: About 2.5 mm long and less than 0.5 mm diameter; color    nearest RHS 165C;-   Lemma: Of about equal size and color to palea; about 4.0 mm long and    about 1.0 mm wide; base truncate with tufts of hairs; apex narrowly    acute; margin entire with hairs of equal size to basal tuft; color    nearest RHS 164C; hair color collectively nearest RHS 158C;-   Palea: Matched to lemma in size, shape, hairs and color;-   Awn: Thin, bristle, about 4.0 mm long; color between RHS 164C and    RHS 164B;-   Gynoecium: Two;    -   -   Stigma.—Two, plumose, protruding about 2 mm from glume;            color nearest RHS 183C.-   Androecium:    -   -   Filaments.—Fine, hair-like, white, about 2.0 mm long and            about 0.3 mm diameter;        -   Anthers.—oblong; about 2.0 mm long and 1.0 mm diameter;            color nearest RHS 183B;        -   Pollen.—Abundant; color nearest RHS 16C.-   Fruit: Caryopsis; enclosed in glume; about 2 to 3 mm long and about    0.5 mm diameter, nearest RHS 164C.-   Hardiness, pest and disease resistance: The new plant grows best    with plenty of moisture and adequate drainage, but is able to    tolerate considerable drought when established. Hardiness at least    from USDA zone 5 through 9. Disease and pest resistance beyond what    is typical of that of other maiden grasses has not been observed.

1: A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental Miscanthus sinensis plantnamed ‘Encore’ as herein described and illustrated.